Category: Books

Another year went by, and another batch of books was consumed. Just like I did last year, I want to share the ones that I enjoyed the most.

But what kind of metric is that? Truth be told, it is not an objective one. Last year, I clearly described it like this:

I don’t mean they are masterpieces or references in a given field, what I mean is that I truly enjoyed the experience. It could be because of the subject, the kind of book, the writing style or for any other reason.

What matters is that I was able to appreciate the time I spent reading them.

And I still think it is what truly matters.

So this year I will repeat the dose — two more books that were entirely worth the money.

“Broken Money”, by Lyn Alden

This is a book about money (surprise, surprise). Not in the usual sense of telling the reader how to earn it or on how to spend it. The focus is instead on what it is, what forms of money existed throughout history, how it was used and how each of those forms failed to fulfil their purpose at a given time.

As the book progresses, it introduces the reader to important financial concepts, practices, and institutions that were born to fulfil certain needs, or to accomplish a desired outcome. It discusses their purposes and their problems.

When describing the current state of affairs, the author focuses on how the existing financial system doesn’t serve all people equally. Example after example, we can see how some benefit from it, while others are harmed by it, over and over again.

The book ends by taking a look at the internet age and exploring “alternatives” that are surfacing on the horizon.

It had a real impact on how I see money and the financial system.

“Masters of Doom”, by David Kushner

Another great book that was a joy to read was “Masters of Doom”, and I guess that every kid from the 90s that touched a PC during that time will know at least one game that is mentioned there.

It tells the story about the people behind “id Software” and their journey throughout most of the decade while they developed and released games such as Commander Keen, Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Quake.

As a kid, I remember playing and enjoying some of those games, many hours of fun and excitement. I was too young to know or follow the stories and the dramas of the game development industry, but I definitely hold great memories of the outcome.

In the book you will find how they met, the ups, the downs, the drama, etc. You know, the whole rollercoaster that any new and successful company eventually goes through.

While many other people were involved in making those games, and eventually make the company prosper, the two main characters in this story are John Carmack and John Romero. With very distinct personalities, it is remarkable how far they were able to take this endeavor together.

If you lived during that time, I guess you will enjoy the book.

We reached the end of another year, and generally, this is a good time to look back, to evaluate what was done, what wasn’t done and eventually plan ahead.

While dedicating some time to the first task, it occurred to me that I should share some of this stuff. I doubt it will be useful to the readers of this blog (but you never know), however it could be useful to me as notes that I leave behind, so I can come back to them later.

Today I decided to write a bit about the books I’ve read and enjoyed the most during 2023. I don’t mean they are masterpieces or references in a given field, what I mean is that I truly enjoyed the experience. It could be because of the subject, the kind of book, the writing style or for any other reason.

What matters is that I was able to appreciate the time I spent reading them.

“The founders”, by Jimmy Soni

When the events described in the book happened, I wasn’t old enough to follow, comprehend and care about them. I certainly was already playing with computers, but this evolving thing called the Internet, and more precisely the web, was more like a playground to me.

Nevertheless, the late 90s and early 00s were a remarkable period and many outstanding innovations were being developed and fighting their way through at that time.

Internet payments were one of those things and the story of how PayPal came to be, is not only turbulent, as for any startup, but is also fascinating. Its survival in the end is the result of immense talent, hard work, troublesome politics and luck.

The team not only had to face hard technical challenges and also fight on multiple other fronts, including with themselves.

One quote from the introduction tells a lot about how some arguments against change are timeless:

… and sites like PayPal were often thought to be portals for illicit activity like money laundering or the sale of drugs and weapons. On the eve of its IPO, a prominent trade publication declared that the country needed PayPal “as much as it does an anthrax epidemic”.

From the introduction of the book

Nevertheless, they changed the way we do things and helped unleash a new era. An era that people like me, who always worked online and for businesses that depend on the Internet, were able to be part of due to many of these achievements. Not to mention the unusual number of individuals who were part of PayPal and would later start other world-changing businesses.

“On Writing”, by Stephen King

The second book is related to an entirely different field, but shares many similarities with the first. It tells us the story behind the name that authored many well-known books during several decades.

It is a book not only about the person and the challenges faced throughout his life, but also how his path impacted the writing and “taste”.

When I started with the book, I was expecting something entirely different, more of a collection of rules and tips on how to write clearly. In the end, the book was much more than that, of course, the important teachings are there, but it also provides you with a great story and context.

I can’t say I learned all the tips the book has to offer and that I’ve put them in practice, but the experience remains.

As with all crafts, it requires time, dedication, and much more.